A True Happy Ending
by LittleMissMidnight
Summary: The world was saved. Lightning's mission was complete but not at a cost of somebody dear to her. Watching her world crumbled Lightning stays and lives her last moments and waits for her real happy ending to begin. SnowxLightning -oneshot-


**A/N: **I was just typing this the other day and before I knew it, I got carried away. I think I'm just too excited for Lightning Returns and Light and Snow's long awaited reunion. Also I've heard, that moment they shared on Gran Pulse will become a flashback during the game. I so can't wait to re-watch the scene again. One of the best scenes in FF13 ever.

**~midnight**

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**A True Happy Ending**

SnowxLightning oneshot_._**  
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_"Happy endings don't end, but start something true and unbreakable"_

Blade at the ready, position straight and firm, tone was bold. Fighting was in her blood. There was no denial of that. Everyone looked up to her, from either respect or fear. But Lightning didn't care. All she wanted to do was do her job and look out for her sister. She was destined to be an officer and was planned to be sent off for training. With bad luck her younger sister was branded an I'Cie, a monster, the real life version of the devil on earth.

Lightning pushed the man her sister loved every time he would speak her name. She refused to believe his words of love to her, spat at the ground at his words 'save Cocoon'. She hated him; she refused to accept him into his sister's life. But as if fate was teasing her they met again at the day Serah turned into a crystal and there they were branded as the same race as her sister. A I'Cie.

She could remember the glare the people of Cocoon had at her. It was no longer stares of admiration but fear and anger. They hated her for simply having a taboo mark on her chest. What were people she once protected now were the men and woman that had a motive to kill. But everything seemed more real once they landed on Gran Pulse. Nobody was there to insult her or mock her. Only her and her group of friends were with her, the people that were going to save Cocoon and Serah.

She had now sworn to protect Cocoon, even at the price of her own life. Due to the rejection of her own hometown her only home rested with her allies, who she saw as her family. To have such close people near her again, to know she was important to them, made her smile. And even the cheesy hero lines from Snow made an impact to her. For once, she actually listened to him.

One evening made their bond closer, looking at the only gift Serah had gave to her fiancé, Lightning quickly questioned Snow's marriage to his sister, now thinking back, and he never gave her a straight answer. It gave her a sigh a relief but the solider could never understand why. Soon doubts entered the man's mind but she quickly assured the man as if she leaned on him for support. A single tear was shed for the reason behind it unknown. Light promised herself that was the last time she would go as far as thinking as them ending possibility together.

But her heart didn't stop hoping.

When Snow rushed in at their final foe and fell, she quickly rushed to his aid. The other took no notice to it like anyone. But the two did for a split second before noticing they still had a fight to win. Light remembered well that she touched his shoulder and had one arm slightly around his waist as she helped him to his feet. It only showed their bond had...grown.

"You stubborn and arrogant fool. Why did you go and save me like that?"

Her trip on memory lane came to a pause as she returned to the alleyway where she had slain her last foe. She stared at his cold weak body as the blade in her hands slipped. Then, her memory trip began once more.

Only able to enjoy her happiness for a slip second, time was altered and turned her into a victim of time, a goddess. But it was no rewarding name. She fought everyday against a man that blamed her for the time alteration. She could not remember the fight from the last. Like a rerun, she would fight the same man over again and again at different locations with different moves. It was never ending.

There were days were there was silence. There she watched Serah's adventure from and smiled at how much she had grown. But what surprised her the most was the once cocky man who had left to find her with only Serah's words to guide him to her. She knew Snow; he wanted to be everyone's protector. Snow had protected her many times before without asking nothing but her to be safe. Something in her told her Serah's words weren't the only thing to motivate him to find her.

When Serah's death came to her, it brought so much grief to her that she accepted eternal sleep to keep her name safe and known throughout the land. But as soon she woke up after many years of slumber Lightning didn't know how to greet the sudden return to life.

Red light acting like an old fashion lamp post stood not far from him. There he opened his eyes slowly only to see she had returned, returned for him.

"You still haven't answered me yet." Crossing her arms, "Tell me why."

New world, new people and a new religion, these were the things Lightning were confronted when waking from her deep sleep. The people were disgusted that she did not follow their religious beliefs and nearly disagreed with everything she had to say. When old friends came to help or say hello, Lightning would smile and feel a sense of gladness overwhelmed her. She was glad they were safe.

Then there was Snow.

Coughing, Snow smirked. "Easy, the big ol' bad guy was coming and I just smacked him outta of your way." After coughing heavily once more Snow saw Lightning had lowered her guard and kneeled beside him. She was completely worried about her.

"At the cost of your own life? Snow, how could you be so foolish?"

"I guess Serah's death was running in my mind got to me and I just-"

"Don't you get it?!" Lightning snapped. "Do you honestly think Serah wants you dead?!"

Lightning had met Serah before her final goodbye, she spoke words of wanting to be remembered and that she held no regrets or grudges. She didn't seem to have any plans to come back to life, it was made clear when Serah told her she was helping from 'her side' Even though it made no sense what her little sister was saying she still accepted any help she would get.

Thirteen days was all Light was given to save the world she was in. It was a word where she could help the lost souls pass to the anew. The rain did not hold back as it continued to pour all over the mystic world. Citizens ran pass them, looking for shelter did not seem to notice the two sitting down in a small alleyway.

Thirteen days had passed and she had defeated the person that was behind her long years of suffering. She never knew it would end on this scale.

"Now that you mention it...maybe not." Snow's laughter was cut short when he began to cough heavily once more.

Lightning shook her head and looked at the ground below them. The rain had begun to wash away most of Snow's blood. Her unpreparedness caused the only person she saw close enough to care for, to love die. Lightning's thoughts were interrupted when he felt the man's hand against the cheek. Looking up she noticed he was still smiling, as if he was somewhat proud of her.

"You know," The blond began. "I don't regret it. You know, regretting to save you."

Lightning held onto the man's hand as it dropped due to the weak energy in him. "I'm not worth saving for. Serah is gone and everyone's suffering here is my entire fault." The woman looked away with guilt.

"It would, if you planned it all."His words caused her to look back at the dying man. He was still smiling despite his condition. "But Light, you didn't. All you wanted was a better placed for your sister. That's not something you should blame yourself for or feel guilty about."

Light felt reassured when Snow tightly held onto her hand.

The two had met a few days earlier, both exchanging information and helping one another in battle if required. There were times and when Light convinced herself both would take a simple stroll down the elegant places for the town. But the thirteenth day became chaos once nightfall came. Reavers rose from the darkest depths and with their blades attacked Lightning. Not only them but many old and new fiends rose to take her down for good.

Without warning a Reaver rose it's blade as Lightning was already busy finishing another off a familiar man took the blow, costing his life. Seeing such a sight, the solider switched to a more physical offence and finished the beast within seconds. Lightning stood in the middle of the scene as rain poured over the two. Turning around she walked to Snow to only hear his words to keep fighting on.

"I'll wait for you here." The man even placed a warm smile across his face. "Just go, save the world like any other hero would."

Feeling torn, Lightning agreed and went off to finish her mission the 'God' had given her from the start. Afterwards her heart had led her back, back to him. Holding his hand tightly, Lightning cried with the rain as she held Snow's hand tighter as each tear passed.

"I-I just wanted her to be safe, I just wanted you to be safe!" Lightning blurted unexpectedly. With her feelings out of control she rested her head on the man's weak shoulders. "I'm tired of fight, tired of death and most of all, tired of protecting people if it only mean their deaths!"

"Why protect me?" Snow asked. "After all, wasn't it I that placed Serah on the top of the tower only to be taken captive all those many years ago?"

"Because you were willing to die for her, you would have done anything to save her unlike me; I placed my duty as a solider first before my own sister." Lightning felt disgusted of her old self. "I was such a selfish person then. I thought that what I was doing was right." Looking up, "Now why, answer me properly. Why did you really protect me and go after me even though you had no recollection of me returning back on Gran Pulse?"

Snow laughed and with his strength he pulled the fragile and destroyed solider into his arms, embracing her loosely. "Because you're important to me, I care for you Lightning."

To hear she was important to somebody else besides her sister made her smile. Despite all the pain she brought to the people around her, Snow most of all, he still cared for her. The woman never thought a day would ever come back to her since the death of her father who she cherished so deeply.

"I-I understand now." Light lay still in the blond's arms. "You remind me so much of my father. Perhaps that's why I disliked you so much at first. He would always rush into reckless things before thinking and when he died for saving a friend I was upset at him." Closing her eyes briefly, "I'm sorry. Forgive me."

Holding her as tight as he could, "I already did, years ago Light."

"T-Thank you." Lightning stuttered at first before opening her eyes, half lit before closing them once more. "I've decided that if the world is ending that I'm going to stay by your side till the end."

Snow smiled, "I couldn't be any happier."

Lightning stayed still and waited till she felt the hand she was holding on so long finally let her go as his heart soon followed.

Snow...had finally let her go for the first time. Lighting held his weak hand one more time to hope it wasn't true, but it was. For the the first time, Lightning was lost, so lost that it hurt her so much. Looking up it only looked he was sleeping. Raising one hand she ran the back of her fingers down his cheeks before looking away. She took a brief moment to look around the city she was in. It was collapsing. The new world was finally coming, a new world without her sister or Snow.

Closing her eyes, a tear was shed as she embraced and held on Snow's body. The rain did not stop as Lightning looked up the sky. It was no longer dull or gloomy. The sky was pulling apart to show underneath a clear blue sky underneath. Unknowing to her the alleyway she shared with Snow began to collapse. But no fear consumed her, in fact, happiness came.

Holding onto Snow's hand one more time she closed her eyes. She refused to let Snow go all by himself. Soon her grip on his him loosened till there was no more life running through her veins. She had no regrets, no burdens left. As the two silently lay the new world began to unfold right around them. They had no use to that world because the one they shared was a place where they were no longer separated.

A place that held her their true happy ending.


End file.
